PTS Patch notes - July 2, 2023 (Test Server) - Ri6: Dawn of Genesis

[MuonNeutrino]

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PTS Update - Rebirth Issue 6: Dawn of Genesis

New Incarnate Power: Genesis

Genesis holds the power of creation.  With its power, Genesis enhances the effects of one of your other Incarnate powers.  Additionally, Genesis creates a new version of that Incarnate power.  Genesis Incarnate powers are not as strong as the original Incarnate power but they can be used anytime--even while exemplaring.

Rebirth Issue 6 introduces Genesis with four types of Incarnate power trees to choose from.

Data: Increases Lore pet's damage and Max HP. Grants Data pets from the Well of the Furies to serve you.

Fate: Increases Destiny effects. Grants power Fate PBAoE Ally Buffs.

Socket: Increases Interface proc chances, Max HP and Max Endurance. Adds Socket power to most damaging attacks.

Verdict: Increases Judgement damage. Grants power Verdict AoE Damage.

Unlock Genesis with the new Advanced Physical Incarnate experience available in the Magisterium, Dark Astoria, Number Six story arc, or Pandora Energy.

Pandora's Box Has Been Opened...
	...The World Will Never Be The Same.

The opening of Pandora's Box has unleashed the "Genesis Wave", vast amounts of primordial energy that ripple through the very fabric of reality.  The Genesis Wave empowers those that it touches, be they good or evil. Ride the wave in Issue 6: Dawn of Genesis!



Pandora altars have started appearing throughout time and space.  Their presence unleashes great power on anyone around them. You might find them during Task Forces, Strike Forces, or during bank/mayhem side missions.  Those affected will bask in the glow of this energy and gain great power for a short time. 



This energy even awakens latent incarnate power and level shifts earlier than anyone imagined possible.  Your rivals will suddenly be a fierce force to contend with.  Defeat them to take their energy and start unlocking your incarnate powers earlier, as they do.  Once defeated claim the altar's power for yourself and your allies.


[spoiler]
Notes for playtesters:
Pandora Altars have a chance to appear towards the end of most Task Forces, Strike Forces, and Bank/Mayhem side missions.  Larger team sizes have a greater chance to spawn them.
They emit Pandora Energy which provides Pandora Buffs and one or more level shifts to nearby foes.
The amount of Energy depends on the altar tier.  Bronze Altars emit 1 level shift.  Silver Altars emit 2 level shifts. Gold Altars emit 3 level shifts.
When an altar appears its tier will be random, however, there's a greater chance for Bronzes than Silver, and Silver than Gold.
Defeat the foes and drain the altar of its Energy to give yourself and your team lucrative rewards.  By doing so you'll receive: Incarnate XP if you're character is already level 50, Influence (and lots of it), A rare recipe drop, and a temporary Pandora Buff for the remainder of the mission.
[/spoiler]






New Challenges, New 'Master of' Badges, and New Alpha Component Incarnate Path





Three new challenge settings: 'No Set Bonuses', 'No Incarnate Powers', and 'No Incarnate and Temporary Powers', pave the way for more challenging gameplay, dozens of new badges, new unique and better rewards, and the first-ever alpha component incarnate path.


Interface, Lore, Judgement, and Destiny now have Alpha component recipes through tier 4.

Earn new "Master of" badges using the following challenge setting combinations:

Badge Title Prefix	Challenge Settings	Ms. Liberty's TF	Lord Recluse's SF	Imperious TF	Lady Grey's TF	5th Column TF	5th Column SF
True Master of	Zero Defeats. No Incarnate and Temporary Powers.
Grandmaster of	Zero Defeats. No Incarnate and Temporary Powers. No Set Bonuses.
Legendary Master of	Zero Defeats. No Incarnate and Temporary Powers. No Set Bonuses. No Inspirations.
Secret Master of	[spoiler]Zero Defeats. No Incarnate and Temporary Powers. No Set Bonuses. No Inspirations. Enemies Buffed.[/spoiler]

Completing any new challenge combination will earn greater rewards and access to high tiers of Alpha components as choices.

Note: You can still earn the reward choices (except for badges) even if you are defeated by completing the Task Force/Strike Force with all of the above challenges enabled.

'True Master of' Reward Choices

True Master of	Synthetic Hamidon	Alpha Component	Reward Merits
Ms. Liberty/Lord Recluse TF/SF	Level 51 Synthetic Hamidon	Drop of the Well	2x Reward Merits
Imperious TF	Not available	Incarnate Infused Nictus	2x Reward Merits
Lady Grey's TF	Not available	Vanguard DNA Metamatrix	2x Reward Merits
5th Column TF/SF	Not available	Infinite Tessellation	2x Reward Merits

'Grandmaster  of' Reward Choices

Grandmaster of	Synthetic Hamidon	Alpha Component	Reward Merits
Ms. Liberty/Lord Recluse TF/SF	Level 52 Synthetic Hamidon	Notice of the Well (limited*)	3x Reward Merits
Imperious TF	Not available	Notice of the Well (limited*)	3x Reward Merits
Lady Grey's TF	Not available	Notice of the Well (limited*)	3x Reward Merits
5th Column TF/SF	Not available	Notice of the Well (limited*)	3x Reward Merits

'Legendary Master of' Reward Choices

Legendary Master of	Synthetic Hamidon	Alpha Component	Reward Merits
Ms. Liberty/Lord Recluse TF/SF	Level 53 Synthetic Hamidon	Favor of the Well (limited*)	4x Reward Merits
Imperious TF	Not available	Favor of the Well (limited*)	4x Reward Merits
Lady Grey's TF	Not available	Favor of the Well (limited*)	4x Reward Merits
5th Column TF/SF	Not available	Favor of the Well (limited*)	4x Reward Merits

'Secret Master of' Reward Choices

Secret Master of	Synthetic Hamidon	Secret Master IO	Reward Merits
Ms. Liberty/Lord Recluse TF/SF	Level 53 Synthetic Hamidon	Liberty's Belt (Resistance Set)	5x Reward Merits
Imperious TF	Not available	Imperial Might (Knockback Set)	5x Reward Merits
Lady Grey's TF	Not available	Forced Indoctrination (Universal Control Set)	5x Reward Merits
5th Column TF/SF	Not available	Inexhaustibility (Rest Special)	5x Reward Merits

Plus earn even more badges by running Flashbacks in Ouroboros

Badge for 'No Incarnate Powers:'

• Deincarnated  Complete a level 46-50 Flashback arc without Incarnate Powers

Badges for 'No Set Bonuses:'

• Basic  Complete a level 1-15 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Minimal  Complete a level 16-19 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Primitive  Complete a level 20-24 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Unadorned  Complete a level 25-29 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Nothing Extra  Complete a level 30-34 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Set Back  Complete a level 35-39 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Simplified  Complete a level 40-45 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses
• Unsettled  Complete a level 46-50 Flashback arc without Set Bonuses

Notes:

• The Reward Merit choice works like any other TF and will only reward half the value when claimed more than one time per 20 hours per challenge tier.
• Uncommon Alpha components (located under the True Master rewards) can only be claimed once every 72 hours.
• Limited: Each Notice and Favor of the Well reward may only be claimed once per character (ever) per task force.
• This expanded reward structure replaces the random purple recipe drop added in Ri2. Standard 'master of' completions once more reward only the associated badge.

New Enhancement Sets

[imgleft width=48 height=48]https://play.cityofheroesrebirth.com/public/images/Issues/rebirth-issue-6/E_ICON_Libertys_Belt.png[/imgleft] Liberty's Belt

Liberty's Belt is a Resistance set with effects available from levels 25 to 50. Liberty's Belt offers massive strength to those seeking its unique enhancement style within this category. These enhancements can be obtained by completing the Secret Master of Ms. Liberty Task Force or the Secret Master of Lord Recluse Strike Force.

Enhancements: Resistance/Endurance Resistance/Recharge Endurance/Recharge Resistance/Endurance/Recharge Resistance Resistance/Global Damage Bonus

Set Bonuses: 2-piece: 1.5% Recovery 3-piece: 2.5% Damage 4-piece: 9% Accuracy 5-piece: 6.25% Recharge Time 6-piece: 4.5% Toxic/Psionic Resistance, 7.5% Mez Resistance

[imgleft width=48 height=48]https://play.cityofheroesrebirth.com/public/images/Issues/rebirth-issue-6/E_ICON_Inexhaustibility.png[/imgleft] Inexhaustibility

Inexhaustibility is a Special Enhancement among enhancements. Inexhaustibility adds an entirely new enhancement category called Rest Buff.  This enhancement's effects are available from levels 2 to 50. Inexhaustibility can be obtained by completing Secret Master of 5th Column Task Force or Strike Force.

Enhancements: Inexhaustibility: Out of Combat +Hit Points/Endurance

Unique: No more than 1 enhancement of this type may be slotted by a character. Slotting this enhancement into Rest will give the user a chance to recover Hit Points and Endurance at a rapid rate if they've been out of combat for 30 seconds or more. in a PvP zone the player will gain a chance to receive a dramatic boost to regeneration instead of the healing effect triggered by this power.  NOTE: Inexhaustibility can only be slotted into Rest and Rest does not need to be activated for this power's effect to be triggered.

[imgleft width=48 height=48]https://play.cityofheroesrebirth.com/public/images/Issues/rebirth-issue-6/E_ICON_ImperialMight.png[/imgleft] Imperial Might

Imperial Might is a Knockback set with effects available from levels 17 to 50. This enhancement set features higher Accuracy, Endurance Reduction, and Recharge Time Reduction than other Knockback sets in exchange for not enhancing damage. Its unique proc converts Knockback into Knockdown.  Additionally, it possesses the signature 6th set bonus Total Might which converts all Knockback enhancements into Damage enhancements in the slotted power. These enhancements can be obtained by completing the Secret Master of Imperious Task Force.

Enhancements: Knockback/Accuracy Knockback/Endurance Knockback/Recharge Recharge/Endurance Knockback/Accuracy/Endurance Recharge/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown

Set Bonuses: 2-piece: 7.5% Movement Speed 3-piece: 3pts. Knockback Protection 4-piece: 9% Accuracy 5-piece: 3% Damage 6-piece: Total Might Bonus: Converts all Knockback enhancements into Damage enhancements in the slotted power.

[imgleft width=48 height=48]https://play.cityofheroesrebirth.com/public/images/Issues/rebirth-issue-6/E_ICON_ForcedIndoctrination.png[/imgleft] Forced Indoctrination

Forced Indoctrination is the first ever Universal Control Duration set with effects available from levels 10 to 50.  It can be slotted into any power that accepts immobilize, sleep, stun, hold, fear, or confuse. This unique enhancement set features Control Duration which enhancements the power of any control effects, and also enhances a power's Damage, Accuracy, Endurance Reduction, and Recharge Time Reduction. Its proc is a chance for Psionic Damage, further increasing the set's damage-mindedness.  These enhancements can be obtained by completing the Secret Master of the Lady Grey Task Force.

Enhancements: Control Duration/Damage Accuracy/Control Duration/Damage Control Duration/Damage/Recharge Accuracy/Recharge/Endurance Accuracy/Control Duration/Damage/Recharge Chance for Psionic Damage

Set Bonuses: 2-piece: 1.8% Maximum Endurance 3-piece: 2.5% Damage 4-piece: 6% Immobilize and Sleep, 3.3% Fear, 3% Confuse, Hold, Stun. 5-piece: 11% Accuracy 6-piece: 8.75% Recharge Time

Rebirth of the Community Information Kiosk

Community Information Kiosks were originally functional in-game leaderboards for tracking player stats released in Issue 2: A Shadow of the Past during the original run of the game. They were removed from the original game after causing performance issues. Special thanks to Pazaz for restoring their functionality.

With Rebirth issue 6, the long-dormant Kiosks spring to life once more!  Kiosks will be present on both hero and villain sides.  Players will be able to compete for spots on the leadership boards in areas such as:

• Top Ten 'Victors' - Highest Overall Scores
• Top Ten 'Punishers' - Most Damage Given
• Top Ten 'Healers' - Most Healing Given
• Top Ten 'Nemeses' - Most Mobs Defeated
• Top Ten 'Arena' - Most Players Defeated

We can't wait to see who'll be the City's top punishes!








Epic Pool Power Proliferation: Martial Prowess
Martial Prowess is an Epic power pool that has been expanded to Tankers and Brutes.  Your experience in melee combat and your drive to improve have given you access to new techniques from various disciplines. You utilize skills from archers and warriors of the medieval age to ninjitsu techniques of the shinobi.




Throwing Dagger
Ranged, Immobilize, Minor DMG(Lethal), Minor DOT(Lethal) Foe -Regen

Scouts and warriors have used small throwing blades to distract and weaken since metal was first smelted. You throw a knife to strike at a vital point on your foe. This does Minor Lethal damage, immobilizes the target, and inflicts a minor lethal DoT that moderately reduces their regen. Recharge: Moderate

Battle Hardened
Auto: +Max HP, +Max End

Your experience in combat has given you strength and stamina! This power costs no endurance and increases your Max HP and Endurance.

Bodkin Bolt
Ranged, High DMG(Lethal), -Def (All), -Res(All)

You employ a crossbow to launch an armor-piercing bodkin bolt at your target. This will strike for high damage and leave the enemy with less resistance and defense for a short while.  You must be level 41 and own Throwing Dagger or Battle Hardened to purchase this power. Damage: High, Recharge: High

Art of War (Tankers only)
Auto: Global Chance of +DMG (all), +End Discount

Your practiced moves allow you to get into a rhythm that blends a perfect combination of offense and defense. Every attack you make has a high chance of increasing your damage (all) and endurance discount for 10 seconds as your rhythm makes your attacks more efficient. This effect stacks 3 times. You must be level 41 and own Throwing Dagger or Battle Hardened to purchase this power.
^{Note: This power is exclusive to Tankers}

Reckless Abandon (Brutes only)
Self +Fury, +Res (all)

You succumb to your rage and begin fighting with no regard for your well-being. This power gives you a large amount of Fury and increases your damage resistance to everything for 30 seconds as you become too angry to feel the damage. You sacrifice a portion of your health in your ferocity.  You must be level 41 and own Throwing Dagger or Battle Hardened to purchase this power. Recharge: Long
^{Note: This power is exclusive to Brutes}

Valiance
Toggle: Self +Regen; Ally +Regen, +Res (Fear, Confuse)

You prefer to lead by example; inspiring others by your presence and bravery. While this power is active you will gain regeneration. Allies in your vicinity will gain regeneration and resistance to fear and confuse effects. You must be level 44 and own two other powers from Martial Prowess to purchase.



Epic Pool Power Proliferation: Munitions Mastery
Munitions Mastery is an epic power pool that has been expanded to Guardians. Your Mastery of weapons and Munitions gives you tools to blast your foes and increase your capabilities.



Taser Jolt
Melee, High DMG (Energy), Foe Disorient

Blasts the target with a high-voltage discharge from a powerful handheld stun gun. This melee attack deals high Energy damage and will Disorient most opponents. Damage: High, Recharge: Slow

Attack Munitions
Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG (Lethal/Smash OR Lethal), Knockback, Special

You have access to a variety of munitions to blast groups of foes. By default this power will throw a hand grenade at your foes, dealing moderate Smashing and Lethal damage to all foes within the blast radius and potentially knocking them back. If you are trained in Military Assault, this power will instead fire the grenade from under the barrel of your Assault Rifle. If you are trained in Gun Fu, when using this power you will instead use specialized ammo and your training to fire an arcing Bullet Rain from your pistols, dealing moderate Lethal damage to all foes in the attack's radius and possibly knocking them back. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow

Superior Conditioning
Auto: Self +Endurance

Your Superior Conditioning has increased your maximum endurance by 5%. You must be level 41 and have Taser Jolt or Attack Munitions before selecting this power.

Targeting Drone
Toggle: Self +To Hit, +Perception, Res(DeBuff To Hit)

When this device is activated, the small Targeting Drone hovers around your head and emits targeting laser sights. The lasers can dramatically improve your chance to hit and increase your perception, allowing you to better see stealthy foes. Targeting Drone also grants you resistance to powers that debuff your chance to hit. This is a toggle power and must be activated and deactivated manually. Like all toggle powers, Targeting Drone costs endurance while active. You must be level 41 and have Taser Jolt or Attack Munitions before selecting this power. Recharge: Slow

Surveillance
Ranged, Foe -DEF, -RES (All)

When this power is activated, you focus your senses to analyze your target's defensive capabilities and discover their weaknesses.  By sharing your knowledge of the target's weaknesses with your team mates, you effectively reduce their defense and resistance to damage. Your Combat Attributes Window will also show the combat attributes of the target. You must be level 44 and have two other Munitions Mastery Powers before selecting this power. Recharge: Slow


Broadsword and Katana Proliferation



Power Set Proliferation has made Broadsword and Katana available to the Tanker Archetype.






Power Info Emergence

We have significantly enhanced the user interface for power information to provide players with a wider range of data.  Ever since its initial release in Issue 12, players have had access to real-time power information through the power user interface.  As powers became more complex, the user interface became inadequate in conveying this information.  Although secondary resources like MIDS and Red Tomax's City of Data are invaluable resources, we believe that you should have all power information at your fingertips without needing to go to secondary resources for information.  In Rebirth Issue 6, we're taking a significant step toward this goal and have added the following functionality:

A number of powers with blank detailed info will now show up.




Power redirects, in which one power becomes a different power under certain circumstances, can now be displayed.




When a power grants a state, the UI can now show how long that state lasts.




Variable effects based on stacks of a power can now be displayed.




When a power's effects have different target areas, that can now be displayed.




Activate periods on toggles and auto powers are now displayed (which impact how often an effect fires).




For this issue, special attention was given to Beam Rifle, Force Fields, Peacebringers, Psionic Melee, Radiation Armor, Radiation Melee, Savage Melee, Trick Arrow, Warshades, Water Blast, Water Control, and Wind Control.

This system will continue to be expanded in future issues.

Costumes

New Costume Parts

We've added a number of new costume pieces that are sure to help fill thematic gaps!

• Turtleneck Collar for Male and Female (Detail 2)


• Leather, Fleece, Cotton, Zipped Fleece, and Zipped Cotton variants
• Headscarf for Male and Female (Hair/Detail 2)


• Hair variant has an extra colorable layer underneath the hood, Detail 2 variant is tight to the head and fits under hats/helmets
• Graphic Cropped Tee for Female (Upper Body Detail)


• Features most chest emblems as shirt prints! Will be updated with the full library over time (This is a deeply tedious process, forgive me)
• Fingerless Tights for all body types


• Supports glove diversification sub-textures, and patterns over the fingerless tights

Updated Costume Parts

Fighter Gloves are now available on both Male and Huge body types.  They can also be paired with Jackets for all three body types.  Additionally, finger textures have been integrated into the Fighter Gloves allowing you to choose hundreds of variations.

The Shinobi Scarf and Shinobi Headband/Blindfold can now be paired with Full Mask, Half Helmet, and Full Helmet categories.


Detail (2) Expansions

Certain Face Detail 2 options for Male and Female are now nested in sub-categories, as opposed to listing separately. If you're not finding one in the menu, it's probably in a sub-menu! This was a technical change necessitated by certain Detail 2 work.

• Shinobi Scarf's "For Capes" variant is now a sub-option
• Bubble Helmet's breather and tube variants are now sub-options
• Cosmic Corsair's Tube variant is now a sub-option
• Metal Plate is now a sub-option of Plate
• Turtleneck Collar's texture variants are all sub-options

Quality of Life Changes

Vigilance: Defender's inherent now receives a 10% endurance discount for the first three teammates and reduce the per health discount to 0.55.


Training, Dual Origin, and Single Origin Enhancements will degrade a whole lot slower.

Expanded the number of levels for the loss of effectiveness of TO/DO/SO enhancement boosts so they wear out gradually over nine levels below the character's level.

Expanded the level above effectiveness by 1 to permit leveling characters to slot TO/DO/SO drop at the max level of their content.  This prevents a situation where both current enhancements could expire while a character is leveling and receiving drops that they cannot slot for another level yet.


Some powers have become a lot more Attractive.

Added Attract to powers that thematically fit.

Black Hole (Controller, Corruptor, Defender, Mastermind, Ghost Widow)

• Now attracts foes inward towards the center of the black hole.
• Radius increased from 20 to 25.
• Allies that step inside the radius of the Black Hole will be phase-shifted like foes.
• Now accepts Immobilize enhancements.

Whirlwind (Wind Control Vortex, Synapse, Cyrus Thompson)

• Now has a 25ft Attract radius.
• Vortex's Attract radius is 20 ft.

Quicksand (Controller, Dominator, Guardian, Tanker, Brute, Mobs)

• Now attracts foes inward towards the center

Singularity Pet (Controller, Dominator, Mobs)

• Now attracts foes inward towards the center from up to 20 ft away.

Warshade Powers:

Gravimetric Snare (Normal Form Only) - Now attracts foes toward the caster
Gravitic Emanation  (Normal Form Only) - Exchanged its knockback to attract affected foes toward the caster
Gravity Well (Normal Form Only):

• Now has a 15 ft Attract radius, pulling foes towards the original target.
• This power's hold and slow effects now hit up to 5 foes within 15 ft of the target.

Clear Mind (Controller, Defender):

• Now provides a minor amount of defense to Psionics to the target and nearby allies.
• Mez protection effects only apply to the target.

Easily pair gloves together with the click of a button.


A new option lets you disable the blinking email notification. Plus, emails will no longer discard claimed items when there isn't enough space in your inventory.


Reduced the respawn rate on enemy encounters in Atlas Park and Mercy Island from 20 seconds to 60 seconds.


Apex & Tin Mage TFs: reduced the time for the Incarnate Debuff to wear off once an Alpha ability is slotted or upon entering the map with an Alpha ability already slotted.

Bug Fixes

General

• Magisterium Incarnate Trial: Added a period of Untouchable to Tyrant while he is depowering.
• Task Forces and Strike Forces now display the correct minimum team size requirements. (4 in most cases)
• Underground Trial should now remove "Glowing Lichen" temporary power upon completion
• The badge tracking window should now remember its position even after zoning

Powers

• Wind Control's Clear Skies icon will now only appear in the status bar when the power is active.
• Radiation Assault's Contamination Immunity lockout has been removed. This was a remnant from early iterations of radiation powers and was inconsistent with other radiation melee sets
• Stalker Savage Melee's Blood Frenzy will now correctly account for stacks.  In general, this should mean more damage from powers that scale based on stacks of Blood Frenzy
• Teleport bonuses for owning multiple powers in the Teleportation Pool will now grant properly.
• Archery's Ranged Shot instant snipe highlighting restored.
• Kismet's +To Hit enhancement, now correctly references +To Hit.  Previously, it erroneously referenced Accuracy.
• Irradiated Ground now deals toxic damage as described in its tooltip and description.
• Beta Decay's Tanker and Scrapper version now grants the larger recharge bonus for the first target as intended.
• Frozen Fists' description no longer references bruising for Scrappers and Stalkers.
• The Day Job Power Invigorate's tooltip now states that it can only be used in AE.  This was already referenced in the long description.
• Reach for the Limit's duplicated toxic and psionic damage buff removed.
• Lightning Rod's description now states that you must be on the ground to activate it.  The power was not modified.
• Psionic Melee powers can now be properly linked in chat.

Fixed some temporary powers that were not correctly disabled when the No Temp Powers challenge setting was enabled.

• Offense Amplifier
• Defense Amplifier
• Survival Amplifier
• Frost Bite
• Winter Ward

[MuonNeutrino]

FOCUSED FEEDBACK: Issue 6 - Genesis Incarnate powers
FOCUSED FEEDBACK: Issue 6 - Challenge Settings and rewards
FOCUSED FEEDBACK: Issue 6 - Power proliferations and tweaks
FOCUSED FEEDBACK: Issue 6 - New costume parts

[ElBee]

Special Testing Arrangements:

Task Forces have had their minimum team sizes lowered to 1 for testing purposes.
Pandora Alters have had their chance to spawn set to 100% for team sizes of 1 player.


Known Issues:

The 'Genesis Wave' emanating from the Pandora Altars are not affecting mobs currently.
Male Full Helmet Detail 3 - Certain costume names are not showing up.